Valentine's Day Recipes

Happy Valentine's Day! I am back finally with new updates for 2009. Yes, it's been a long time. Our camera died and we finally got a new one (Cannon Powershot A1000IS), which I am trying to learn how to use. Hopefully I will be able to keep up and start posting new & exciting recipes. For valentine's this year, we decided to stay in and I made a homecooked meal.

Against my better judgement, I used a steak marinade from Allrecipes.com. I am usually underwhelmed by some of the recipes on there-even the ones with good ratings. It was called the Best Steak Marinade in Existence. Hmmm...it was okay. Maybe it needed to marinate for the full day instead of just a few hours.

The sweet potato casserole, a request from my husband was delicious! I usually don't go by a recipe, but this time I followed one from the food network and then threw in some canned pineapple like usual and topped it with roasted marshmallows! Yum!

For the Appetizer, I decided to go with one that I made in the past. It was very good! The pears complemented the prosciutto in a good way, along with the cream sauce.
Roasted Prosciutto-Wrapped Pear With Blue Cheese Cream

from The Washington Post

The pear wedges may be wrapped up to 2 hours before serving.

6 very thin slices prosciutto, trimmed of excess fat (used one 3 oz package)

1/2 medium Bartlett or Anjou pear, cored and cut into 6 wedges (used 2 Anjou pears)

3 ounces blue cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)

2 tablespoons light cream (used heavy whipping cream)

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped thyme (used dried)

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Lay the prosciutto slices side by side on a work surface. Place a pear wedge near the end of each one and roll up. Transfer the wrapped pear wedges to the baking sheet and roast about 6 minutes, until the prosciutto is lightly browned and the pear has softened.

Meanwhile, combine the blue cheese, cream and thyme in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook about 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the cheese melts. Season with pepper to taste. Arrange the roasted wrapped pears on a plate around a small bowl containing the blue cheese cream. Serve immediately.

Best Steak Marinade in Existence

from Allrecipes.com

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder

3 tablespoons dried basil

1 1/2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes

1 teaspoon ground white pepper

1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (optional)

1 teaspoon dried minced garlic (optional)

Place the soy sauce, olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, basil, parsley, and pepper in a blender. Add hot pepper sauce and garlic, if desired. Blend on high speed for 30 seconds until thoroughly mixed.

Pour marinade over desired type of meat. Cover, and refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Cook meat as desired.
Sweet Potato Casserole
from Food Network Kitchens

2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 3 large), scrubbed (I used 4 potatoes)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten with a fork
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted plus more for the preparing the pan
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper (I omitted)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans (I topped with marshmallows)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and pierce each one 2 or 3 times with a fork. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until tender. Set aside to cool.

Turn the oven down to 350 degrees F. Scoop the sweet potato out of their skins and into a medium bowl. Discard the skins. Mash the potatoes until smooth. Add the eggs, butter, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and pepper to taste. Whisk the mixture until smooth.

Butter an 8 by 8-inch casserole. Pour the sweet potato mixture into the pan and sprinkle the top with the pecans. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until a bit puffy. Serve immediately.

Savory Sweet Potato Fries

Now I am normally one who likes sweet potatos made sweet, like spiced mashed potatoes or candied. But I decided to stray from the norm and was pleasantly surprised. Here's the recipe I tried with my additions in italics. Enjoy!

Roasted Spiced Sweet Potato Fries

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds (omitted)

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon kosher salt (used sea salt)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 lb medium sweet potatoes

3 tablespoons vegetable oil (used olive oil)

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Coarsely grind coriander, fennel, oregano, and red pepper flakes in an electric coffee/spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Stir together spices and salt.

Cut potatoes lengthwise into 1-inch wedges.

Toss wedges with oil and spices in a large roasting pan and roast in middle of oven 20 minutes. Turn wedges over with a spatula and roast until tender and slightly golden, 15 to 20 minutes more.

Sunday Barbeque

I had chicken breasts that needed to be used by Tuesday, so I decided to make a home cooked meal for Sunday dinner. My husband requested barbecue chicken and I turned to my standby cookbook, Weber's Big Book of Grilling. I served it with a German potato salad and jalapeno cornbread. It was all very good!

Warm Potato Salad with Beer Dressing
For Beer Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup finely chopped white or yellow onion
1 cup lager beer
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons German or Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For Potato Salad:
3 1/2 pounds red-skinned potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley

For Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in small frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, lager, vinegar and sugar. Boil until liquid is reduced by a third, about 5 minutes.

Transfer onion/beer mixture to food processor. Add mustard and blend until smooth. With machine running, drizzle remaining oil through feed tube to form smooth dressing. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm.

MEANWHILE, PREPARE SALAD: Steam potato slices until just tender, about 12 minutes. Gently toss warm sliced potatoes in large bowl with 2 tablespoons of vinegar. Toss warm potatoes, red onion, green onions, celery and parsley with warm dressing. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper and serve warm.

Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread
from Barefoot Contessa at Home

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups milk
3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease the pan
8 ounces aged extra-sharp Cheddar, grated, divided
1/3 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts, plus extra for garnish, 3 scallions
3 tablespoons seeded and minced fresh jalapeno peppers

Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and butter. With a wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the dry until most of the lumps are dissolved. Don't overmix! Mix in 2 cups of the grated Cheddar, the scallions and jalapenos, and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking pan.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle with the remaining grated Cheddar and extra chopped scallions. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and cut into large squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Mesquite-Roasted Chicken
from Weber's Big Book of Grilling

Rub
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon cracked black peppercorns
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
2 teaspoons granulated onion
1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 (3.5-4 lb) whole chickens (I used thin boneless chicken breasts)

Sauce
1 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon molasses
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons granulated onion
2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin

Mesquite wood chips, soaked in water to cover for at least 30 minutes

Make the rub: in a bowl, combine all the rub ingredients; set aside.
Chickens: remove and discard the neck, giblets, and any excess fat from the chickens.
Rinse the chickens, inside and out, under cold water; pat dry with paper towels.
Remove the backbones and cut each chicken in half.
Coat each chicken half thoroughly with the rub, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.

Make the sauce: in a small bowl, whisk the sauce ingredients together along with ½ cup water.
Follow your grill’s instructions for using wood chips; grill the chicken halves skin side up, over indirect medium heat until the juices run clear and the internal temperature reaches 170° in the breast and 180° in the thickest part of the thigh, about 1 ¼ hours.

Remove from the grill and loosely cover with foil; let rest for about 5 minutes before cutting the halves in two.

Serve warm with the sauce on the side.

A Very Yellow Dinner-Beer Batter Chicken & Hash Brown Casserole

I realized as I was plating this dinner, that besides being extremely fattening, it was all very yellow. The picture is probably not too appetizing but these two recipes were very tasty and VERY fattening. I realized that most of our dinners this week were not very health conscious!

Creamy Hash Brown Casserole
From Southern Living

1 (32-ounce) package frozen hash brown potatoes (I used Simply Potatoes southwest style)
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can fat-free cream of chicken soup (I used fat-free cream of mushroom soup)
1 (8-ounce) container light sour cream (I used regular sour cream)
1 small onion, chopped
1 (5-ounce) can low-fat evaporated milk (I used 5 oz skim milk)
1/4 cup light butter or margarine, melted (I used butter)
1 teaspoon dried rosemary (optional) (I omitted)
1/2 teaspoon salt (I omitted)
1/4 teaspoon pepper (I omitted)
Vegetable cooking spray
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (I used Mexican blend cheese)

Stir together first 9 ingredients in a large bowl.
Spoon mixture into an 11- x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle cheese evenly over top.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until bubbly and golden. Remove from oven, and let stand 10 minutes.

Beer-Battered Fried Chicken Tenders
recipe source unknown

1 ½ pounds chicken tenders (raw)
¾ cup vegetable oil

Batter:
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 egg
¾ cup pale ale

Dipping Sauce:
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons pale ale
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, 1 teaspoon salt, lemon zest and cayenne pepper to make batter. In a small bowl, beat together the egg and ¾ cup pale ale or other beer. Pour beer mixture into flour mixture, stirring until just blended and slightly lumpy. Set aside.

To make dipping sauce, beat together in a medium bowl, mayonnaise, heavy cream, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons pale ale, and salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a large, deep saucepan, place the vegetable oil. Warm over medium heat. Place chicken tenders in batter mixture. Remove tenders one at a time and gently place in hot oil; it should sizzle loudly. Cook chicken in three batches, turning, about 6 minutes per batch, or until crispy on the outside and fork can be inserted into chicken with ease. Remove chicken from pan with a slotted spoon. Set on a plate lined with several paper towels to drain. Serve chicken hot accompanied by dipping sauce.